Gay Guide Sweden

Sweden was the fifth European country, after the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Norway, where homosexuals were allowed to marry. Sweden, already a pioneer in adoption rights for same-sex couples, was the first country in the world to allow homosexuals to marry in church in 2009. The situation for homosexuals in Sweden is very divided. On the one hand, the country is very liberal and known for it all over the world. This tolerance con be found in everyday life in the larger cities (although homosexuals are hardly visible in the streets), but an open homosexual life in the countryside is much more difficult and outbreaks of violence are not rare. The other surprising thing are strict laws concerning the "purchase of sexual services", whereby only the purchase is illegal, but not the offer (buyer=offender, provider=victim). The use of Poppers is forbidden and you render yourself liable to prosecution if you do not divulge your HIV infection to your sex partner before having sex. The age of consent is 15. It may come as a surprise that gay bars and pubs always comprise a restaurant. Sweden's restrictive alcohol policy makes it almost impossible to serve spirits in pubs without a simultaneous offer of food.